Getting paid
How to get paid faster
Nine practical changes, from deposits to reminders, that shorten the time between finishing the work and seeing the money.
Key takeaways
- Many late payments come from friction and unclear expectations rather than unwillingness to pay.
- Take a deposit, agree on terms in writing, and invoice the day the work is delivered.
- Make payment easy with card and bank transfer options linked from the invoice.
- Send reminders on a schedule, before and after the due date.
Slow payments are rarely about a client refusing to pay. More often, the invoice went out late, the due date was vague, paying was awkward, or nobody followed up. Each of those is within your control.
The tactics below are grouped by when they apply: before the work, when you invoice, and after. You don't need all nine. Start with the two or three that address your most common delays.
Before the work starts
1. Take a deposit
A deposit reduces your risk and confirms the client's commitment. For project work, asking for 25% to 50% upfront is common. On a $4,000 project, a 50% deposit means $2,000 arrives before you begin, and only $2,000 is exposed to delays. Issue the deposit as its own invoice so it's easy to track. For retainers and other recurring work, the same principle applies: bill at the start of each period rather than the end, so you're paid before the work instead of after it.
2. Agree on terms in writing
Payment terms should never appear for the first time on the invoice. Put them in the contract or estimate the client approves: the due date, accepted payment methods, and any late fee. Our guide to invoice payment terms explains the options and how to choose.
3. Confirm who pays and how
Ask for the billing contact, the correct legal name of the client's business, and whether a purchase order number is required. An invoice sent to the wrong person, or missing a PO number, can sit in an approval queue for weeks.
When you invoice
4. Invoice promptly
Send the invoice the day the work is delivered or the milestone is reached. Every day you wait is a day added to your payment timeline. For ongoing work, invoice on a fixed schedule, such as the first of each month, so clients can plan for it.
5. Make the invoice easy to approve
Clear line items reduce questions, and questions cause delays. Reference the project name, the estimate or PO number, and the dates of service. Put the total and the due date where they can't be missed. A line such as "Bookkeeping services, October 1–31, PO 4471" lets the client's accounts team match your invoice to their records without emailing you first.
6. Use shorter terms where you can
If Net 30 is a habit rather than a requirement, consider Net 14 or Net 15 for new clients. Clients who schedule payments by due date will simply pay sooner, and most small clients don't need a full month to pay a routine invoice.
7. Accept online payments
The fewer steps between reading an invoice and paying it, the better. Let clients pay by card or bank transfer directly from the invoice. Card payments usually carry processing fees, so decide whether to absorb them or build them into your rates. Some businesses pass fees on as a surcharge, but surcharging rules vary by state, country, and card network, so check what applies to you first. See how online payments work.
After you invoice
8. Send reminders on a schedule
A friendly reminder before the due date catches invoices that were simply forgotten. Follow-ups after the due date keep your invoice from sliding down the list. A simple sequence looks like this:
| When | Reminder | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days before due | Heads-up with the amount and due date | Friendly |
| On the due date | Due today, with a payment link | Neutral |
| 7 days overdue | Overdue notice; ask if anything is holding it up | Direct |
| 30 days overdue | Firm follow-up; mention late fees if agreed | Firm |
| 45+ days overdue | Final notice with next steps | Formal |
Writing these by hand each time is tedious and easy to skip. Automatic payment reminders go out on schedule and stop once the invoice is paid. If you'd rather write your own, start with our payment reminder email templates.
9. Make it personal when it matters
Automated reminders handle most cases. For a large or significantly overdue invoice, pick up the phone. A short, polite call often surfaces the real issue, such as a lost email, a missing approval, or a cash-flow problem on their side, faster than another message would. Afterward, confirm what was agreed in a short email: "Thanks for the call. As discussed, you'll pay INV-0219 by Friday." That gives both of you a written record.
Track what's working
Look at how long your invoices take to get paid, and which clients are consistently late. An aging report, which groups unpaid invoices by how many days overdue they are, shows where money is stuck at a glance. It also helps to calculate, once a month, the average number of days between sending an invoice and receiving payment. If that number is creeping up, you'll know to act before it becomes a cash-flow problem.
Then adjust client by client. If one client always pays at 45 days on Net 30 terms, require a larger deposit, shorten the terms, or move ongoing work to recurring invoices billed on a fixed date. If a client pays early every time, consider whether a small early-payment discount is worth offering to others.
Start with your next invoice
You don't need a new system to see results. Send your next invoice the day the work is done, with a clear due date and a way to pay online. The free invoice generator is a quick way to create one now.